And Now, And Here-第1章

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Chapter　1

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no　bigger　lie　than　death

28　october　1969　pm　in　meditation　camp　at　dwarka；　gurujat；　india　we　bee　free　from　that　which　we　have　known。

we　also　triumph　over　that　which　we　have　known。

our　failure　and　defeat　are　only　because　of　our　ignorance。

defeat　is　because　of　darkness；　when　there　is　light；　defeat　is　impossible　……　light　itself　will　bring　triumph。

the　first　thing　i　would　like　to　tell　you　about　death　is　that　there　is　no　bigger　lie　than　death。

and　yet；　death　appears　to　be　true。

it　not　only　appears　to　be　true　but　even　seems　like　the　cardinal　truth　of　life　……　it　appears　as　if　the　whole　of　life　is　surrounded　by　death。

whether　we　forget　about　it；　or　bee　oblivious　to　it；　everywhere　death　remains　close　to　us。

death　is　even　closer　to　us　than　our　shadow。

we　have　even　structured　our　lives　out　of　our　fear　of　death。

the　fear　of　death　has　created　society；　the　nation；　family　and　friends。

the　fear　of　death　has　caused　us　to　chase　money　and　has　made　us　ambitious　of　higher　positions。

and　the　biggest　surprise　is　that　our　gods　and　our　temples　have　also　been　raised　out　of　the　fear　of　death。

afraid　of　death；　there　are　people　who　pray　on　their　knees。

afraid　of　death；　there　are　people　who　pray　to　god　with　folded　hands　raised　towards　the　sky。

and　nothing　is　more　false　than　death。

that　is　why　whatever　system　of　life　we　have　created；　believing　death　to　be　true；　has　bee　false。

how　do　we　know　the　falsity　of　death？　how　can　we　know　there　is　no　death？　until　we　know　that；　our　fear　of　death　will　not　go。

until　we　know　the　falsity　of　death；　our　lives　will　also　remain　false。

as　long　as　there　is　fear　of　death；　there　cannot　be　authentic　life。

as　long　as　we　tremble　with　the　fear　of　death；　we　cannot　summon　the　capacity　to　live　our　lives。

only　those　can　live　for　whom　the　shadow　of　death　has　disappeared　forever。

how　can　a　frightened　and　trembling　mind　live？　and　when　death　seems　to　be　approaching　every　second；　how　is　it　possible　to　live？　how　can　we　live？　

no　matter　to　what　extent　we　may　remain　oblivious　to　death；　it　is　never　really　forgotten。

it　makes　no　difference　if　we　put　the　cemetery　outside　the　town　……　death　still　shows　its　face。

every　day　someone　or　other　dies；　every　day　death　occurs　somewhere；　and　it　shakes　the　very　foundation　of　our　lives。

whenever　we　see　death　happening；　we　bee　aware　of　our　own　death。

when　we　cry　over　somebodys　death；　it　is　not　just　for　that　persons　death　alone；　but　also　for　the　hint　we　get　of　our　own。

our　suffering　from　pain　and　sorrow　is　not　only　over　someone　elses　death　but　also　over　the　apparent　possibility　of　our　own。

the　occurrence　of　every　death　is；　at　the　same　time；　our　own　death。

and　so　long　as　we　remain　surrounded　by　death；　how　can　we　live？　like　that；　living　is　impossible。

like　that；　we　cannot　know　what　life　is　……　neither　its　joy；　nor　its　beauty；　nor　its　benediction。

like　that；　we　cannot　reach　the　temple　of　god；　the　supreme　truth　of　life。

the　temples　which　have　been　created　out　of　the　fear　of　death　are　not　the　temples　of　god。

the　prayers　which　have　been　posed　out　of　the　fear　of　death　are　not　prayers　to　god　either。

only　one　who　is　filled　with　the　joy　of　life　reaches　the　temple　of　god。

gods　kingdom　is　filled　with　joy　and　beauty；　and　the　bells　of　gods　temple　ring　only　for　those　who　are　free　from　all　kinds　of　fears；　for　those　who　have　bee　fearless。

because　we　like　to　live　in　fear　this　seems　difficult。

but　this　is　not　possible　……　only　one　of　the　two　things　can　be　right。

remember；　if　life　is　true　then　death　cannot　be　true　……　and　if　death　is　true　then　life　will　be　nothing　but　a　dream；　a　lie；　then　life　cannot　be　true。

these　two　things　cannot　exist　simultaneously。

but　we　hold　on　to　both　together。

there　is　the　feeling　that　we　are　alive　and　there　is　also　the　feeling　that　we　are　dead。

i　have　heard　about　a　fakir　who　lived　in　a　faraway　valley。

many　people　would　go　to　him　with　questions。

once　a　man　came　and　asked　him　to　explain　something　about　life　and　death。

the　fakir　said；　〃you　are　wele　to　know　about　life；　my　doors　are　open。

but　if　you　want　to　know　about　death　then　go　somewhere　else；　because　i　have　never　died　nor　will　i　ever　die。

i　have　no　experience　of　death。

if　you　want　to　know　about　death　men　ask　those　who　have　died；　ask　those　who　are　already　dead。

〃　then　the　fakir　laughed　and　he　said；　〃but　how　will　you　ask　those　who　are　already　dead？　and　if　you　ask　me　to　give　you　the　address　of　a　dead　person；　i　cannot　do　it。

because　ever　since　i　have　e　to　know　that　i　cannot　die；　i　have　also　e　to　know　that　no　one　dies；　that　no　one　has　ever　died。

〃　

but　how　can　we　believe　this　fakir？　every　day　we　see　someone　dying；　every　day　death　happens。

death　is　the　supreme　truth；　it　makes　itself　apparent　by　penetrating　the　center　of　our　being。

you　may　shut　your　eyes；　but　no　matter　how　far　away　it　is　from　you；　it　still　remains　apparent。

no　matter　how　much　we　escape　from　it；　run　away　from　it；　it　still　surrounds　us。

how　can　you　falsify　this　truth？　

some　people　do；　of　course；　try　to　falsify　it。

just　because　of　their　fear　of　death　people　believe　in　the　immortality　of　the　soul　……　just　out　of　fear。

they　dont　know；　they　simply　believe。

every　morning；　sitting　in　a　temple　or　a　mosque；　some　people　repeat；　〃no　one　dies；　the　soul　is　immortal。

〃　they　are　wrong　in　believing　that　just　by　repeating　this；　the　soul　will　bee　immortal。

they　are　under　the　impression　that　death　can　be　falsified　by　repeating；　〃the　soul　is　immortal。

〃　death　never　bees　false　by　such　reiterations　……　only　by　knowing　death　can　it　be　falsified。

this　is　very　strange；　remember：　we　always　accept　the　opposite　of　what　we　go　on　repeating。

when　someone　says　he　is　immortal；　that　the　soul　is　immortal　……　when　he　repeats　this　he　is　simply　indicating　that　he　knows；　deep　down；　he　will　die；　he　will　have　to　die。

if　he　knows　he　will　not　die　then　there　is　no　need　to　go　on　about　immortality；　only　one　who　is　frightened　keeps　on　repeating　it。

and　you　will　see　that　people　are　more　scared　of　death　in　those　countries；　in　those　societies　which　talk　the　most　about　the　immortality　of　the　soul。

this　country　of　ours　talks　untiringly　about　the　immortality　of　the　soul；　and　yet　is　there　anyone　on　earth　more　scared　of　death　than　us？　there　is　no　one　more　afraid　of　death　than　us！　how　can　we　reconcile　these　two？　

is　it　ever　possible　for　people　who　believe　in　the　immortality　of　the　soul　to　bee　slaves？　they　would　rather　die；　they　would　be　ready　to　die　because　they　know　there　is　no　death。

those　who　know　that　life　is　eternal；　that　the　soul　is　immortal；　would　be　the　first　to　land　on　the　moon！　they　would　be　the　first　to　climb　mount　everest！　they　would　be　the　first　to　explore　the　depths　of　the　pacific　ocean！　but　no；　we　are　not　among　those。

we　neither　climb　the　peak　of　everest　nor　land　on　the　moon　nor　explore　the　depths　of　the　indian　ocean　……　and　we　are　the　people　who　believe　in　the　immortality　of　the　soul！　in　fact；　we　are　so　scared　of　death；　that　out　of　the　fear　of　it　we　go　on　repeating；　〃the　soul　is　immortal。

〃　and　we　are　under　the　illusion　that　perhaps　by　repeating　it；　it　will　bee　true。

nothing　bees　true　by　repetition。

death　cannot　be　denied　by　repeating　that　death　does　not　exist。

death　will　have　to　be　known；　it　will　have　to　be　encountered；　it　will　have　to　be　lived。

you　will　have　to　bee　acquainted　with　it。

instead；　we　keep　running　away　from　death。

how　can　we　see　it？　we　close　our　eyes　when　we　see　death。

when　a　funeral　passes　by　on　the　road；　a　mother　shuts　her　child　behind　closed　doors　and　says；　〃dont　go　out；　someone　has　died。

〃　the　cremation　ground　is　put　outside　the　town　so　it　rarely　meets　your　eyes；　so　that　death　wont　be　there；　right　in　front　of　you。

and　if　you　ever　mention　death　to　somebody；　he　will　forbid　you　to　talk　about　it。

once　i　stayed　with　a　sannyasin。

every　day　he　would　talk　about　the　immortality　of　the　soul。

i　asked　him；　〃do　you　ever　realize　that　you　are　ing　closer　to　death？〃　

he　said；　〃dont　say　such　ominous　things。

it　is　not　good　to　talk　about　such　things。

〃　

i　said；　〃if；　on　the　one　hand；　a　person　says　that　the　soul　is　immortal；　but　also　he　finds　it　ominous　to　talk　about　death；　then　this　fouls　up　the　whole　thing。

he　shouldnt　see　any　fear；　any　omen；　anything　wrong　in　talking　about　death　……　because　for　him　there　is　no　death。

〃　

he　said；　〃although　the　soul　is　immortal；　i　nevertheless　do　not　wish　to　talk　about　death　at　all。

one　should　not　talk　about　such　meaningless　and　threatening　things。

〃　we　are　all　doing　the　same　thing　……　turning　our　backs　on　death　and　escaping　from　it。

i　have　heard：　once　a　man　went　mad　in　a　village。

it　was　a　hot　afternoon　and　the　man　was　walking　along　a　lonely　road　all　alone。

he　was　walking　rather　fast；　trying　not　to　be　scared：　it　is　possible　to　be　scared　when　someone　is　already　there；　but　how　can　anyone　be　scared　when　there　is　no　one　around？　but　we　do　feel　scared　when　there　is　no　one　around。

in　fact；　we　are　afraid　of　ourselves；　and　when　we　are　alone　the　fear　is　even　greater。

there　is　no　one　we　fear　more　than　ourselves。

we　are　less　afraid　when　acpanied　by　someone　and　more　afraid　when　left　all　by　ourselves。

that　man　w